Wire hanger clip



Dec. 16, 1969 J- E. GAYDOS 3,484,029

WIRE HANGER CLIP Filed NOV. 12, 1968 F164 INVENTOR JOHN E. GAYDQSY BY w 54% 17 ATTOR N (S 3,484,029 WIRE HANGER CLIP John E. Gaydos, 427 W. Catawba Road, 'Port Clinton, Ohio 43452 Filed Nov. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 774,816 Int. Cl. A47j 51/086 US. Cl. 223--85 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment is provided to be clipped on each end of a wire garment hanger to provide a smooth surface approximately one inch wide and three inches long to support the shoulders of a garment so as to prevent the usual distortion of the cloth when using a bare wire hanger.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cheap attachment adapted to be quickly clipped onto a wire garment hanger to cover each end thereof and to provide a larger garment supporting surface than is found in the usual wire hanger.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device having a three sided pocket therein adapted to embrace the curved wire portion usually found at the lateral end of a garment hanger, together with a portion of the upper bar and lower bar adjacent thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment of the type described which is pleasing to the eye and easy to use.

Other objects and advantages of the' invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a wire hanger with two of the attachments of this invention in place at the opposite ends thereof;

FIG. 2 is a central sectional view, enlarged, of one of the attachments shown in FIG. 1, this section being taken along the line 22 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view taken from the position of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; while FIG. 4 is a top plan view taken from the position of the line 44 of FIG. 2.

Bare wire hangers are commonly used to support garments which have been freshly laundered or dry cleaned. These hangers are of uniform size and when the shoulder width of the garment is greater than the width across the hanger, the ends of the wire hanger will provide the appearance of a lump between the collar of the garment and the tip of the shoulder. This is particularly annoying in the case of mens suits or sweaters and womens garments of various character, particularly jackets and sweaters of loose knit or soft fabric. In any case, even where the garment hanger is of approximately the proper width, the bare wire causes a ridge where the shoulders of the garment rest upon it. The present invention provides a quick and easy manner of placing protective clips or attachments at opposite ends of the hanger which are frictionally or resiliently held in place and which provide a greater area of supporting surface to hold the garment so as to obviate the above mentioned difficulties.

Two of the attachments of this invention are shown applied to opposite ends of the wire hanger 11. This hanger is of the usual character being generally triangular with two inclined upper bars 11a and a lower bar 11b joined by curved wire portions 110 shown in detail in FIG. 2. The hanger is shown supplied with a hook 11d at the top by which the hanger is customarily suspended.

nited States Patent 0 The attachment 10 is composed of a unitary body having a generally fiat top surface 12 which is generally rectangular in top plan view as shown in FIG. 4 having a width crosswise of the upper bar 11a from about four times to about twelve times the thickness of the wire bar and having a length generally parallel to the upper bar at least twice the width of the rectangular top surface. In a preferred form of this device, the top surface is approximately one inch by three inches with rounded corners as shown in FIG. 4.

The clip or attachment is generally triangular in elevation as clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The apex 13 of this triangular shape is directed inwardly and upwardly along. the upper bar 11a. A downwardly opening slot 14 is provided along the central vertical longitudinal plane of the clip body extending from the apex 13 of the triangle to a point 15 adjacent the wall 16 of the triangle opposite the apex. This slot terminates in a straight line 17 where it is adapted to engage the upper bar 11a and terminates in a line 18 which follows around the curved portion 11c of the hanger when the clip is in place thereon. The slot 14 might terminate by extending in the direction of the dot-dash line 14 in FIG. 2 which is generally tangent to the outside portion of the curved wire portion 110. Preferably however, the slot provides a three sided pocket so that the lower portion of the body at 19 embraces a portion of the lower bar 1112 adjacent the curved wire portion when the clip is in place on the hanger.

The Walls of the slot 14 are spaced so as to firmly grip the wire of the hanger when the attachment or clip is applied thereto. Where the attachment 10 is of material having very slight resilience, the lateral width of the slot is so selected that the clip has to be forced onto the wire hanger so that a strong friction holds the same tightly in place. Where the attachment has greater resilience, then the slot can be slightly narrower than the wire of the hanger so that the attachment snaps into place on the hanger and is held by the resilience thereof.

A preferred form of my attachment is made of a bubble-type, polystyrene plastic made by inflating cells of polystyrene with air. A suitable form of this material is sold under the trademark Styrofoam by Dow Chemical Company.

As seen in FIG. 3, the top surface 12 is slightly convex upwardly being highest above the bar 11a and sloping downward laterally in each direction in a smooth fashion. The shoulders 12a at the lateral sides of the top surface 12 are preferably rounded smoothly as seen in FIG. 3.

The outer end edge of the top surface 12, as seen at 12b in FIG. 2, turns downwardly in a smooth curve.

The outer end wall 16 of the attachment as seen in FIG. 2 is inclined downwardly and inwardly. This adds to the pleasing appearance of the clip and permits the garment to hang smoothly from the rounded shoulder 12b.

The side walls 20 of the body are inclined downwardly and inwardly as seen in FIG. 3. In fact, from about the point A in FIG. 2, where the lower side of the attachment turns from a straight line parallel to bar 11a and curves smoothly downwardly as seen in FIG. 2, to the outer end 16 of the attachment, the side walls 20 are preferably made concave inwardly which adds to the pleasing appearance of the attachment.

In use, the attachments 10 are pushed into position on opposite ends of the hanger 11 and the three sided pocket formed by the slot 14 engages snugly and tightly against the straight upper bar 11a and the straight lower bar 11!; and against the curved wire portion 11c as clearly seen in FIG. 2. The invention thus protects garments against the formation of unsightly lumps or ridges such as occur when using a bare wire hanger of the type described.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for an end portion only of an upper bar of a wire garment hanger of the type which is generally triangular having two inclined upper bars and a generally horizontal lower bar and curved wire portions at each end where the lower bar joins the upper bars; said attachment being a unitary generally triangular body in side elevation having generally fiat top and end surfaces in two sides of said body which are generally rectangular in plan, said body having a length about twice its width and having an elongated inwardly extending slot formed in the surface defined by a third side of said body, the end surfaces of said slot forming a three-sided pocket adapted to embrace the ends of the upper, lower, and curved portions of said wire garment hanger.

2. An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said body is formed of a bubble-type polystyrene plastic.

3. An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer end edges of said top and end surfaces include an interconnecting smooth convex surface.

4. An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said top surface is slightly convex upwardly.

5. An attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein the side walls and the outer end wall of said body are inclined downwardly and inwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,448,726 9/1948 Nelson 223-88 2,812,889 11/1957 Manosky 22388 FOREIGN PATENTS 696,161 Canada.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner GEORGE H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner 

